In computers and other electronic equipment, circuit boards are utilized to which are mounted numerous electrical and electronic components. Smaller circuit cards are utilized to establish electrical connections to a larger circuit board in a manner that permits removal and disconnection, by inserting an edge of the card into a receptacle connector mounted on the board and containing an array of contacts connected to circuits of the board. Contact sections of the contacts are exposed within a card-receiving cavity of the connector that engage circuit pads on the card surfaces upon card insertion. It has become useful to secure certain cards within larger modules so that components mounted on the card are protected by module covers during handling. Such modules, such as Slot 1 process modules, need to be accurately guided during mating with the receptacle connector so that the leading end of the enclosed card is accurately received into the card-receiving cavity of the connector, since the module covers inhibit accurate visual alignment of the card with the cavity. It is known to provide elongate retention members projecting from the board from ends of receptacle connectors to facilitate mating in similar situations. It is also known for such processor modules to have attached thereto a massive heat sink along one side thereof, and to secure a distal end thereof to the circuit board by a fastening assembly for stabilization.
It is desired to assure that all tolerance is eliminated between the processor module and its heat sink, and the retention members and heat sink board-fastening components, to eliminate looseness from the resulting mated assembly and stabilize the module against the effects of vibration and other movement.
It is also desired to provide a more convenient manner of securing the processor module and heat sink to the circuit board.